AGL to proceed with Australia's largest wind farm at Coopers Gap in Queensland

AGL Energy has confirmed the 453-megawatt Coopers Gap Wind Farm is set to proceed to construction after having achieved financial close with the sale of the project to the Powering Australian Renewables Fund (PARF).

Located at Cooranga North, approximately 250 kilometres north west of Brisbane, construction of the $850 million Coopers Gap Wind Farm is expected to start later this year and be completed by mid-2019. When complete, the wind farm will be the largest in Australia.

Above: Brown Hill Wind Farm in Hallett, South Australia / by David Clarke.

The 123-turbine wind farm will produce approximately 1,510,000 MWh of renewable energy annually, which can power more than 260,000 Australian homes. The renewable energy produced from the wind farm will reduce CO₂ emissions by 1,180,000 tonnes annually, which is the equivalent of taking 340,000 cars off the road.

Queensland Treasurer and Acting Energy Minister Curtis Pitt welcomed the announcement, which he described as a vote of confidence in Queensland's energy sector that will support up to 200 jobs during construction and up to 20 ongoing operational jobs.

"I'm pleased to confirm that arrangements for connection of the Coopers Gap Wind Farm to Powerlink Queensland's electricity transmission network are now in place, with a new substation to be constructed," Mr Pitt said.

Mr Pitt said that in addition to the Coopers Gap Wind Farm project, two solar farms also reached a major milestone.

"Daydream and Hayman Solar Farm will be connected to Powerlink's 275kV network near Collinsville. The Solar Farms are owned in partnership with BlackRock, with Edify Energy providing construction management and long-term asset management."

AGL has named a joint venture consisting of GE and Catcon as the successful tenderer for the engineering procurement contract for the Cooper Gap Wind Farm.